Kuster follows vote to halt Syrian refugee program with fundraising email blasting ‘GOP extremist’
1:55 p.m.
In response to fears arising from the terrorist attacks in Paris, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that would effectively halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the U.S.
The House passed the “American SAFE Act of 2015″ by a 289-137 margin. 47 Democrats, including 2nd District Congresswoman Ann Kuster, crossed the aisle to vote with the majority despite a veto threat from Pres. Obama. Two Republicans joined 135 Democrats in voting against the measure.
The bill would require the FBI director, Homeland Security secretary and national intelligence director to personally confirm that each applicant poses no threat – the strictest screening ever required for refugees fleeing a war zone. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the new requirements are impractical and impossible.
The U.S. State Department has explained that current procedures require each refugee requesting resettlement to be vetted by the United Nation’s refugee agency, and then separately by the State Department, the FBI and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. The process takes between one-and-a-half and two years.
2:35 p.m.
In a release posted on Facebook, Kuster said she voted in favor of the legislation to “strike the balance” between protecting Americans and preserving our fundamental values:
My number one priority is to protect the security of the American people. Today I voted to strike the balance of protecting the safety of our homeland while preserving American compassion. With a thorough vetting process in place, we can assure safe passage for women, young children and elderly refugees fleeing rape and other atrocities in their war-torn land. Americans are a compassionate people and we cannot let ISIS terrorists destroy our way of life or our fundamental values.
3:28 p.m.
About 90 minutes after Kuster cast her vote in favor of halting the refugee program, supporters received a fundraising email in which Kuster described her potential 2nd District opponent as a GOP extremist. “The media, pundits, and political insiders are watching to see what happens next,” she wrote:
I just wanted to make sure you knew the latest in my race. The GOP extremist with his eyes on my seat is really gearing up. He just stepped down from his leadership position presumably to concentrate on his campaign. This requires a swift response from us. […]
Having one of the first primaries in the nation just around the corner, all eyes will be on New Hampshire Democrats. The media, pundits, and political insiders are watching to see what happens next, and we can’t come up short.
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